The Lenzing Group is expanding its global clean electricity portfolio and transitioning its production site in Purwakarta to green electricity. The Indonesian subsidiary PT. South Pacific Viscose (SPV) has been using electricity generated solely from renewable sources since July this year, which will reduce its specific carbon emissions by 75,000 tonnes annually.

In 2019, Lenzing became the first fibre producer to set a target of halving its carbon emissions by 2030 and becoming climate neutral by 2050. The carbon reduction target has been recognized by the Science Based Targets Initiative. In Purwakarta, Lenzing is currently investing in the reduction of carbon emissions, as well as air and water emissions. Thanks to its EUR 100 million investment in this area, Lenzing is gradually transitioning its existing capacities for standard viscose to Lenzing Ecovero and Veocel branded specialty viscose.

“Demand for our wood-based, biodegradable specialty fibres is constantly rising. We see enormous growth potential, especially in Asia. The switch to green, renewable electricity marks a huge step forward in converting our Indonesian site into a specialty fibre supplier. This makes us better positioned to meet the growing demand for sustainably produced fibres,” comments Robert van de Kerkhof, Chief Commercial Officer for Fiber at Lenzing.

Boosting growth in specialty fibres

Man-made climate change is one of the most pressing problems of our time and the fashion industry has an extremely negative impact on the environment due to its fast fashion business model and the growing consumption of fossil resources in textile production.

Lenzing Ecovero viscose fibres (for textiles) and specialty viscose fibres under the Veocel brand with Eco Care technology (for nonwovens) generate 50% lower greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution compared to standard viscose, according to Lenzing.

Specialty fibres are Lenzing’s key strength. The company aims to generate more than 75% of its fibre revenue from the wood-based, biodegradable specialty fibres business under the Tencel, Lenzing Ecovero and Veocel brands by 2024. With the launch of the lyocell plant in Thailand in March 2022 and the investments in existing production sites in Indonesia and China, the share of specialty fibres in Lenzing’s fibre revenue is set to exceed the 75% target by a significant margin as early as 2023.

www.lenzing.com